CHILLICOTHE - Like many teachers, Roxanne Walker has struggled to find a way to get her students excited to write.

But the Allen Elementary teacher may have found success in sharing her own process with them.

"Two years ago, we split our reading and writing position into just a writing teacher and a reading teacher because we only have five teachers. I kind of struggled (thinking) I don't know how I'm going to interest kids in just writing because writing's a difficult thing to get kids motivated to do," Walker said.

Her hope was that by seeing their teacher writing, they'd realize that they could do it too.

So she set a goal for herself — that she would finish her first book, "The Disappearing Act" by the end of the school year. She established a theme for herself and the students, that they would write scary stories at the beginning of the year for Halloween.

"I noticed that the kids really responded to my writing and I'd keep a tally on the board of what page number I was on. They'd always ask me and want to know what chapter it was and especially my kids last year — I think now, this year they just expect me to be writing. And, last year they were really pushing," she said, explaining how some of last year's students would tell her she was writing fast enough to get it done by the end of the year, which of course, motivated her to get it done faster.

In conversations with her students, they settled on art for her book covers, voted on character names, and determined book titles. Walker hoped sharing the writing and editing process would teach her students they can't just spit the words out and be done, that there's actual creative thinking and crafting that goes into it.

But she also wanted to teach them writing is a way to express things about their life.

Walker, who grew up in the carnival, used her first book as a platform to share her experiences to dispel some of the mystery behind carnivals and "carnies."

Lined up against a whiteboard in Walker's classroom are about half a dozen short stories written by Walker's students and published by a company that publishes stories and poems written by students.

Allen Elementary Principal Joanna Strawser has witnessed the impact it's had on not only Walker, but her students, describing it as wonderful.

"She shares with them her struggles and successes (in the writing process)," Strawser said. "If they can make a connection with her, they can have a better understanding. By her sharing her process, it helps them have a better understanding."

The concept has also opened students' eyes to see what's out there and the opportunities available outside of Ross County, Strawser said, adding that they're seeing someone from Pickaway County or Ross County can do something to better themselves and have a book published.

That's exactly what Walker hopes to achieve through working with them.

"I think the biggest success is actually seeing them writing — and wanting to write. Many of them will write stories at home and send them to me or they'll just tell me 'Ms. Walker, I'm working on my own story at home. I've got five chapters." Some of these students never would have went home and picked up a pencil or whatever they're writing on and they're going home and doing it now," Walker said, adding that their writing has improved in general as well because they're practicing.

"So I've really enjoyed that they're wanting to do it in class and outside the class, and sending it to me and just keeping me involved in it," the teacher said. "That's pretty cool because maybe they'll grow up to write something that none of us has expected or they'll change the world in their own way."

Walker's mother, Ronda Spangler, described her daughter as a very detailed person, and said she thought becoming an author has made her more so because she can recognize her students' individual needs.

"She recognizes their writing abilities and their thinking process for writing," Spangler said. "I'm just very proud of her, of the adult she's grown into, that she has the want to do this. This is a learning process and I think it's been very good for her."

Although Walker just published her second book, "Kai's Secret," about a week ago, she already has ideas for her third book and said she would eventually like to get into historical fiction.

"Growing up, we didn't have a lot of books about women in history, so I've decided that's where I want to go with my writing is to do more research into young women in history and fictionalize their stories to a degree, but put them out there more, so my students have young women to aspire to," Walker said. "Because I do think that's important. We did have 'Anne of Green Gables' and Laura Ingalls Wilder, but there are so many women that actually did important things."

Walker hopes to teach the kids that with hard work and determination their dreams can come true too and they don't have to be in a big city to accomplish it.

"It's not about where you live or where you're from," Walker said. "It's about trying your best and keeping at it. So if they have a dream, don't be afraid to follow it."

Walker's books are available for purchase on Amazon or at Wheatberry Books in Chillicothe.